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Hey, guys! dreamesh DIY Club is back with our passport pouch workshop for mom and kid at the event Jakarta Vintage Market! Come join us this Saturday afternoon, May 30th 2015, at Taman Menteng, Jakarta!

We'll be making matching passport pouches complete with the passports and stamps. It's gonna be a really fun mom and kid kind of day! Don't worry if you haven't got the time to register, because you are welcome to come on the spot. Till we meet Saturday!

Last March, we went on a family vacation – the four of us with my mother, in-laws and sister in law. It was such a pleasant and memorable trip, we had a blast! I would love to share the 10 days we spent in Japan through two separate posts. Today is the post of our adventures in Tokyo while the second post is all about Osaka. Enjoy the pictures!

As soon as we arrived in Haneda International Airport Tokyo, we didn’t want to lose time and went straight to Akibahara for lunch (Tenya rules!) and Ueno Park where the Sakura trees are. I mean, you can’t go to Japan in spring and not take pictures with the Sakura trees, can you? Then, we went straight ahead to Kan’eiji temple and see Tokyo sunset from the height of Japan’s tallest building, the Tokyo Sky Tree. It was so beautiful!

It was yet another honor for me to decorate an area for my client, Tropicana Slim from Nutrifood. This time, it was for the launching of Tropicana Slim Canola Oil. It was a bright red party! I went a little bit different this time with the chair decoration. Instead of tying the ribbon at the back, I clipped it with some sticker. A simpler yet cuter look!

Learning from the launch, the canola oil from Tropicana Slim is extracted from canola seeds producing oils low in saturated fat enriched with omega 3 – an alternative for healthier oil. I believe as much as Tropicana Slim does too that a healthy life starts from home, especially by the food cooked for the family.

Just like the usual frying oil, we can use canola oil to fry, though for a healthier lifestyle we should start reducing the consumption of deep fried foods. Also canola oil can be used as salad dressing, sautéing, pan-frying, and grilling. I certainly need to get my hands on this healthier choice!

The day to bake for your loved ones is here! And because I took the pledge, today I am sharing what I baked for my kids. I baked Charlotte’s Zebra Chocolate Chip Cookies and immediately got an approval from Yuara and Kutri!
Everything chocolate lights up my kids’ eyes, so when they first saw the zebra chocolate chip cookies, the word “Wow” was mentioned several times while jumping around to get their hands on them. The drizzled toppings had just hardened and was firm enough to let them taste, and once they did their reaction just made my day! “Hmmm…” “Yummm…” “Chocolaaate…” were a few of the repeated words I got and though it’s only a word, the whole moment totally blew me away. It’s either I really did a good job or they are just very polite kids, but I think it’s the former. Yeah, I knew I nailed it when they kept asking for more. I did try to make them save some for later, but it didn’t work and because it’s World Baking Day, I gave in and let them eat the whole batch. They were t…

There’s something about birthdays and me. We don’t really connect. I always fail to see my birthdays as something special. But I turned 35 last Sunday and it felt different, at least it was because the husband and the kid treated it differently. They were up from dawn to bake me a birthday cake! And when the night fell, they brought me to a fancy dinner so we could celebrate properly. But the thing is, as far as I could remember, I always try to celebrate my life everyday. With my loved ones. And doing the things I love the most. For that, I am truly grateful.

Oh it was Mother’s Day too that day, so Happy Mother’s Day to all of you grateful moms out there.. To those who can still smile when your kids are testing you! Be grateful. Always.

Have you ever had that feeling of satisfaction after preparing a dish for you loved ones and they actually love it? I get it all the time, even if it’s just a simple sandwich fix or a super-easy baked pudding. The smiles and giggles I get in return from the family afterwards are priceless. I’m sure us mommies know how exactly that feels, and I bet that is what gets us back in the kitchen now and then.

Well, you know what? Next week on May the 17th, is World Baking Day! To celebrate that, I am taking a Pledge to Bake. Yeah, why not celebrate by getting creative in the kitchen, enjoying a little ‘me-time’ and most of all to earn those smiles and that priceless feeling again! So, next week I will be baking Charlotte’s Zebra Chocolate Chip Cookies and I will be baking for the kids. I know how they love cookies, and Charlotte’s recipe will definitely be a sweet surprise from my ordinary Choco Chip Cookies.

Hey, why don’t you join me on this? We can bake our own recipes but share the same…

It was a fine day that day, when I managed to make and decorate props for a party themed from the book Where The Wild Things Are. Was I excited? Of course! Was I happy with the results? You bet! I made a tree backdrop, pretend-fire, and a Where The Wild Things Are pinata!
The dessert table backdrop
Cake and cookie by @alinaratih
The photo booth with tents and pretend-fire! DIY Where The Wild Things Are Pinata Face What you need: a large sheet of brown cardboard, acrylic paint, black coloring pencil, black crepe paper

How to make:
1. Shape the cardboard into a giant circle with two devil horns and draw a rough sketch of the eyes, nose, and teeth

2. Color them in with paint. I also painted the horns white.

3. Using a black coloring pencil, trace over the eyes, nose, teeth and other features using sketch strokes to perfect the look.

4. Make fringe using the black crepe paper and stick around the face making it look hairy.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of paper flower… I believe they can brighten up any kind of day and weather. So when I got the chance to contribute for Martha Stewart Magazine last year, of course I just had to go with the idea of decorating with these lovely paper florals.

How lovely would those Hydrangeas be on the door? Or decorating gifts with cherry blossoms? Poppies for cupcake toppers maybe? (Click here for my paper poppies DIY tutorial) And who would have thought about roses on napkin holders? Last but not least, those tulips in a long clear glass. Prettiness all over!

born in france, but both my parents are indonesians. lived my whole life in indonesia (minus those couple years back in paris). worked as a radio announcer + reporter and a magazine journalist + editor for quite some time. now, am simply a freelance writer + editor, a wife + mother, but always always, a dreamer. this blog is my collection of inspirations that makes (or made) my dreams come true!